Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas Vows to Seal Downtown Stadium Deal with Royals in 2026
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas made it clear on Wednesday: the Royals aren’t going anywhere - and he plans to make sure of it. In his annual State of the City address, Lucas pledged to finalize a deal in 2026 that would keep the Royals in Kansas City, with a new stadium planted downtown.
It’s a promise that’s been years in the making, and it comes at a pivotal moment. With his final term ending in 2027, Lucas is looking to close one of the city’s most high-profile and politically charged negotiations - a deal that could shape the future of Kansas City’s downtown and its identity as a sports town.
“We will get a deal done in 2026 that’s fair and transparent for our taxpayers, our future and our team,” Lucas told a packed City Hall audience that included local officials, law enforcement, media members and everyday Kansas Citians.
The Royals have long expressed interest in building a stadium in the heart of the city, and Lucas has been a vocal supporter of that vision. He framed the team’s presence as more than just a sports issue - calling it essential to Kansas City’s growth and civic pride.
“As part of our growth, our retention of the Kansas City Royals in the only home they’ve ever known, Kansas City, is a must,” he said.
Momentum Building in Jackson County
Lucas’ comments come as momentum continues to build for a stadium site in Jackson County. In recent weeks, he and Jackson County Interim Executive Phil LeVota traveled to Jefferson City to meet with Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, discussing plans to keep the Royals local.
While the team has explored options in Kansas and Clay County, those alternatives appear to be fading. LeVota confirmed that the Royals are narrowing their list - and Jackson County is still very much in play.
“I’ll tell you what it isn’t,” LeVota said. “It’s not in Kansas.
It’s not in Clay County. So, there are locations in Jackson County.”
That’s a significant shift in tone. For months, the Royals’ future seemed caught in a tug-of-war across state lines. Now, the conversation is zeroing in on where - not if - the team will stay in Missouri.
No Location Named, But Washington Square Park Looms Large
Notably absent from Lucas’ address was a specific site. But when speaking to reporters afterward, he didn’t exactly keep his cards close to the vest.
“Obviously, there’s been a lot of work done here in Washington Square Park. There’s been a lot of discussion,” Lucas said, referring to the area near Crown Center. “You know, if there’s been that much study of the traffic ingress, egress and beyond, I imagine that’s a location that will be very heavily evaluated.”
Translation: Washington Square Park is very much on the radar.
Still, both Lucas and LeVota emphasized that the final decision will rest with the Royals. And that’s by design. The city, county and state are working to present a unified proposal that the team can get behind - wherever they choose to build.
“Once they pick that location, we have a proposal from the state, from the city and the county, that the Royals, I believe, will be comfortable with,” LeVota said. “And we’ll get the deal done.”
Spring Training Deadline Looms
Both Lucas and LeVota have previously said they’re aiming to finalize a deal by the end of spring training - a timeline that puts the pressure on with late March fast approaching.
A completed deal would close the book on a drawn-out political saga that has dominated headlines across the metro. It would also bring clarity to a fanbase eager for answers about the team’s long-term home.
Tensions Along the State Line
Lucas didn’t shy away from the broader implications of the stadium talks. Without naming names, he alluded to the recent unraveling of an economic truce between Missouri and Kansas - a pact that once aimed to prevent cross-border poaching of businesses and development projects.
“Selective truces with entire industry exceptions, historically large incentives in adjacent communities to develop empty fields and debasing tax revenues across the region for wins realized only by a few and rarely experienced by our schools, our taxpayers, or our public services will not form the basis of regional cooperation,” Lucas said.
It was a pointed message - one that seemed to address not just the Royals’ situation, but also the recent announcement that the Chiefs are planning a move to Kansas, a development that’s only heightened the stakes.
Still, Lucas struck a hopeful tone, positioning Kansas City as the steady hand in a time of regional uncertainty.
“We’ll continue to work cooperatively as the heart of the region and the heart of America to show the best in American cities,” he said.
What’s Next
The Royals’ stadium saga isn’t over, but the pieces are coming together. The team appears to be leaning toward staying in Jackson County.
The political support is lining up. And the mayor has made it a top priority to get the deal done in 2026.
Now, all eyes turn to the Royals’ front office - and the calendar. With spring training just around the corner, the clock is ticking on one of the most consequential decisions in Kansas City sports history.